Linkable Assets: What They Can Do For You

If you want to take your link building campaign to the next level (and who doesn’t?), you need to start making use of linkable assets. These are any resources you have that can get people to naturally create a link for you because of its perceived value. Those resources can be anything from the usual awesome content to a highly respected industry influencer to even an incredibly useful tool.

Benefits of Linkable Assets

The benefits of having such resources are powerful.

First of all, your domain will be getting link after link after link for a long time. If that resource of yours is very valuable, people will be citing it in all sorts of content. Their own followers will then see them referring to your linkable asset, and they’ll start linking to you. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

As a result of that first benefit, your website hosting that linkable asset grows its online presence. Netizens the world over see your content on a great number of websites, and they’ll believe that your site and everything else in it must be awesome with how many links it’s getting. It’s a good way of generating your own followers and new leads.

And of course, your website gets a higher search engine rank based on the numerous links it has earned, and you also enjoy more visibility through social media. In the end, traffic to your website goes all the way up.

Identifying a Linkable Asset

Besides bringing in a lot of links, linkable assets have certain characteristics that make them so valuable.

It’s Evergreen

The term comes from trees like firs and pines that manage to stay green with their leaves no matter the season. Evergreen content then is any article, infograph, video, etc. that gets links months and even years after it has been originally published, and that’s what makes such content a linkable asset.

These kinds of content must provide information that can last a while, meaning they aren’t based on “trending topics” or specific events or news. They also have to be something people will want to come back to, meaning they need to offer detailed explanations on certain things to be a sort of “learning resource”.

It’s Branded

For something to be a linkable asset to you, it has to actually benefit your business. That asset should then show that it is made by you, so having a byline is a necessity. However, branding doesn’t stop with just stamping you and/or your business’ name on the asset. You can make it actionable to nudge people into sharing it if it’s content or using it if it’s a tool.

One major part of branding is design, so you also want that linkable asset to get people’s attention with a captivating look. A “must-read” headline done in typography that stands out with good supporting graphics is a linkable asset done right.

It’s Share-able

To help make an asset linkable, sharing it has to be so simple anyone from a 12 year old on his smartphone to a 40 year old on her tablet can do it. You have to understand that people nowadays have very short attention spans. You don’t want to lose out on a potential link just because a reader couldn’t find a way to share it on his Facebook or Twitter account.

Thankfully, there are social buttons that you can easily integrate onto your website for that job. Take it a step further by providing a code that can get your linkable asset’s visitors to embed it on their own web page. Combine this method with a call-to-action badge, such as when a reader finishes a guide and you’re looking at more links that you can imagine.

Types of Linkable Assets

For a clearer picture on what resources can be linkable assets, here’s a list of the major types with concrete examples.

1. How To’s or Guides

The Internet has become the go-to tool for people wanting to learn how to do stuff, from building a fire pit to getting a DNA test to learning how to do SEO. Guides like these are always being looked for, and they stay relevant for quite a while without needing constant updates.

Like the first guide on the list, Jon Cooper of PointBlankSEO offers something comprehensive, but this time on a more focused subject while still maintaining a general overview.

2. Infographics

People naturally take to visual media because it is much easier to digest, so merging vital textual information with striking illustrations is a surefire way of getting multiple links shared all over the Web.

Color-coded charts paired with a timeline dotted with tidbits of text and the necessary highlights put the complexities of online marketing on a clear perspective.

3. Apps and Tools

Any software that can help increase productivity can also help increase the number of links you can get. Whether it’s a separate program that needs downloading or an online service, share it to the world and they will reward all your efforts with links upon links.

Featuring all of the capabilities of the old Google Docs service plus more, it’s a vital piece to Google’s continued efforts of solidifying its position in the Internet industry with so many people relying on their overall network.

Final Thoughts

There are many other kinds of linkable assets that you can use, and it’s just a matter of looking for which of your resources provide the kind of value that will turn it into asset. Creating something of value in itself is a challenge that involves a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Once you’ve built or identified one though, it will be worth all the effort and sacrifices because of the nonstop returns it will bring.